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Fowlers vacola recipes for plum pudding and other delights

18-02-2006, 05:05 PM

Hi just starting to get into the fowlers system, did it when i was young a long time ago...
? particulary interested in peopple who have done things such as pickles, relishes, sauces etc and other interesting bits
As ive heard your not meant to do veg due to bacteria or something....

With sauce and relish we collect bottles and jars. We buy the lemon cordial in glass, I think they have it in Coles, with the pretty design on the top. We use those for sauce. And jars from things you buy in the supermarket. I also saw some jars at the op-shop the other day.

Then we usually get ezy-sauce to make relish with. It is made by Wilds. We are starting to collect jars to make green tomato pickles. The recipes are all on the bottle. They are all good.

Another good recipe is a pickles made from cucumbers, apples and onions, like those yellow pickles you buy.

Tomatoes are good for the Fowler, and peaches. And things like bread and butter pickles or the same made from zucchini pickles. Or pickled onions.

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My Mum has always done her own preserving. My aunt has a huge vege garden and every year they get together go mad preserving everything in sight. I'll give Mum and ring and ask her about what she does about the vegetables.

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Vacola used to have an instruction book on how to preserve everything. I have even seen a whole chook preserved in a big vacola jar. My aunt gave me the old book, but as I'm in transit at the moment I don't know if I could find it.

We do not own the earth, we are its guardians and hold it trust for future generations.

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I remember preserved veges in the pantry all year round. I've never done it myself but I understand the trick is the heat it up properly (to kill bacteria) and to make sure that the lids are totally air tight.

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Thanks for your replies
? still need some recipes...
Also have heard that people use the jars with the little plastic seals from eg leggos or commerical pickle jars and sterlise in the microwave.. ? they dont seem to mention anything re: the lids are metal??..any experience or could you put them into a large saucepan and boil them , if at what temp and for how long?
Thanks

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Do an archive search on this site...there are heaps of previous posts on preserving. Vacola currently have instructions books available ...google Vacola. Veges are low acid so need extra care when bottleing...hence many are pickled. There is a soft cover book avaiable Microwave Bottleing and Preserving....it uses vacum seal jars eg. Leggo type.
I no longer use the microwave much but sucessfully use the technique with stove cooked sauces. Use the microwave to sterilise the jars and lids.
For tomatoes I cook up a sauce of tomatoes, basil and oregano and pepper (I dont add salt). Fill into hot jars and screw on lids with care as everything is boiling hot. Use tea towels and pot holders. As the jars cool the vacum button on the lids will seal... if it doesnt then temp wasn't hot enough. these jars store in the cupboard for monthes.
Happy bottleing
Cathy

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She says that vegetables have to be dealt with in a particular way otherwise they spoil. She says that you need to cook them once, leave them for 24 hours and then cook them again.

Because you are preserving, rather than cooking, there really aren't any recipes per se. However she does say that with fruit, only preserve them when they are just ripe and still firm. She said that if she had any that weren't 100% or were overripe, that she would puree these and then preserve the good fruit in the puree.